Needle operating means for warp knitting machines



April 2,1968 J. D. WENRICH NEEDLE OPERATING MEANS FOR WARP KNLTTINGMACHINES Filed Jan. 19, 1966 United States Patent Oii ice 3,375,682Patented Apr. 2., 1968 3,375,682 NEEDLE OPERATING MEANS FOR WARPKNITTING MACHINES John D. Wenrich, Fleetwood, Pa., assignor to TextileMachine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan.19, 1966, Ser. No. 521,720

7 Claims. (Cl. 66--86) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Operating means forthe needles of a warp knitting machine including a first lever on whichthe needles are mounted, a first link connected to the first lever, asecond link connected to the first link, a third link connected to thesecond link, a second lever connected to the third link, a third leverconnected to the third link, first, second, and third shafts on whichthe first, second, and third levers are supported, a drive shaft, afirst crank connecting the drive shaft and second link, a second crankconnecting the drive shaft and second lever, and eccentrics on the driveshaft for operating the first and second cranks.

This invention relates to warp knitting machines and more particularlyto improved needle operating means for such machines.

In warp knitting machines and particularly tricot type knitting machineswhich are operated at high speeds, stitch forming elements including theneedles, the presser member for closing the beards of the needles andthe sinkers are supported in levers which are operated to move thestitch forming elements along predetermined paths in timed relationshipto each other to form stitches of the yarns fed thereto by the yarnguides of the machine. conventionally, the operating means for thestitch forming elements include either cam operated or eccentricoperated linkages connected to the supporting levers for the elements,the latter linkages being found to permit operation of the elements athigher speeds. In the eccentric operated linkages and particularly suchlinkages for providing the more complex movements of the needles, theiroperation required the motion of two or more separate eccentric shafts,usually operating at different speeds, or the motion of two or moreeccentrics on the same shaft which, combined with the complicated priorarrangements of joints connecting the various members of the linkages,resulted in the development of frictional loads and other forces thatlimited the operating speed of the machine.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide means in a warpknitting machine for operating the knitting elements which will overcomethe above noted and other objections to prior operating means for suchmachines.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in a warpknitting machine for operating the needles of the machine which meansincludes a single operating shaft having a plurality of eccentric meansfor operating the needles through linkage having a plurality ofindividual elements and connecting joints for the elements with eachjoint connecting no more than two of the individual elements of thelinkage.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of theinvention shown in the accompanying drawing, the invention resides inthe novel elements and combination of parts in cooperative relationshipas hereinafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view with parts in section of mechanism foroperating the needles of a warp knitting machine in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of one of the eccentricallyoperated members of the mechanism taken on the line and in the directionof the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale taken on the line and in thedirection of the arrows 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale taken in the direction of thearrows 4-4 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a view diagrammatically illustrating the path of movement ofthe needles along a course which is plotted in relation to the angle ofrotation of the operating shaft for the needles.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing there is shown conventionalfabricating means of a warp knitting machine including a spring beardedneedle which is one of a row of such needles mounted in a bar 11,sinkers 12 in the spaces between the needles, the sinkers being mountedin a bar a portion of which is shown at 15, a presser member 16 forclosing the beards of the needles, a bar 17 on which the presser memberis mounted, and yarn guides 20 which are mounted for movement throughand along the row of needles to lap yarns fed thereby around the needlesin the usual manner. The needle bar 11 is supported on levers, One ofwhich is shown at 21, secured to a shaft 22 mounted for rocking movementin a portion 23 of the framework of the machine whereby the needles areadapted to be operated along an arcuate path, indicated diagrammaticallyat 25, between a low knockover position, as indicated in FIG. 1, to ahigh position during which time the yarn guides 20 are moved back andforth through the needles to lap the yarn car* ried thereby around theshanks of the needles below the beards thereof. The needles, afterreceiving yarn from the guides, are lowered along the path 25 to catchthe newly received yarn beneath the beards thereof and the beards areclosed by the presser bar 16 until the tips of the beards pass throughpreviously formed stitches in the throats of the sinkers. The sinkers 12are then retracted to permit the needles to draw yarn for new stitchesthrough the previously formed stitches held on the knockover surfaces ofthe sinkers and to cast ofl? or knockover the latter stitches from theneedles. The means for operating the sinkers 12, presser member 16 andguides 20 in the manner set forth forms no part of the invention and isnot shown herein.

For moving the needles along the arcuate path in accordance with theinvention each of the levers 21 is operated by a linkage including afirst link 26 having forked ends, one of the ends being pivotallyconnected by a pin or stud 27 to the lever and the other end beingpivotally connected by a pin or stud 30 to one end of a second link 31.The other or opposite end of the second link 31 is pivotally connectedto a pin 32 carried in adjacent ends of a spaced pair of links 35 atopposite sides of the second link. At their other ends the pair of links35 carry a pin 36 for pivotal connection to the free end of a first rocklever 37 (FIGS. 1 and 4) pivotally mounted on a shaft 40 carried infixed position in the framework of the machine. Intermediate its endsthe second link is mounted for rocking movement on a pin 41 carried inadjacent free ends of a special pair of crank levers 42 (see also FIG.3). The other ends of the crank levers 42 are provided with split typebearing portions 45 for rotatable engagement with spaced eccentricportions 46 of a shaft 47. The shaft 47, which is the main drive shaftof the machine, is rotatably mounted in the framework of the machine anddriven by a suitable motor (not shown) in a conventional manner.

The links 35 are pivotally connected intermediate their ends to a pin orstud 50 carried in the free end of a second rock lever 51 positionedbetween the links. The second rock lever 51 is pivotally mounted on ashaft 52 carried in fixed position in the framework of the machine aboveshaft 40 and at the same side of the main drive shaft 47 as shaft 40.Intermediate the pin 36 and shaft 40 the first rock lever 37 carries apin 55 having pivotal engagement with a forked end 56 of a second cranklever 57. At its other end lever 57 is provided with a split typebearing portion 60 for rotatable engagement with an eccentric portion 61of the shaft 47 intermediate the eccentric portions 46 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

During rotation of the shaft 47 the eccentric portions 46 and 61 combineto operate the various links and levers to move the needles 10 along thearcuate path 25, as shown in FIG. 1 and as indicated in the curve 65 ofFIG. 5, from a low position 66 to an intermediate level 67 in which theheads of the needles are slightly above the guide eyes of the yarnguides 20. The needles remain at the level 67 momentarily while the yarnguides are moved back and forth through the needles to lap the yarncarried thereby around the needles after which the needles are raised toa high position 68 to insure that the lapped yarns are around the shanksof the needles below the beard thereof. The needles are then loweredfrom the high position 68 to the low position 66 to draw yarn for newstitches through the previously formed stitches on the needles and tocast off the latter stitches from the needles as hereinbefore set forth.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the mechanism of the inventionis such as to smoothly move the needles in timed relationship to thesinkers, beard presser member and yarn guides to form yarns fed by theguides to the needles into knitted fabric. Furthermore, the arrangementof links and levers and the connecting joints between these membersprovides an operating linkage for the needles in which the operatingforces on the joints are balanced and in which there is a minimum offriction between the joints and members to permit operation of theneedles at greatly increased speeds.

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown anddescribed by which the above results are obtained, can be changed andmodified in various ways without departing from the invention hereindisclosed and hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a warp knitting machine having spring bearded needles, a pressermember for closing the beards of the said needles, sinkers, and yarnguides for feeding yarns to said needles in combination with means foroperating said needles to form said yarns into stitches of a knittedfabric including a first lever on which said needles are supported, afirst shaft on which said first lever is supported for movement, a firstlink having one end connected to said first lever, a second link havingone end connected to the other end of said first link, a third linkhaving one end connected to the other end of said second link, a secondlever connecting the other end of said third link, a shaft forsupporting said second lever for movement, a third lever connected tosaid third link intermediate the connections thereof with said secondlink and said second lever, a shaft for supporting said third lever formovement, a drive shaft, a first crank means connecting said drive shaftand said second link, a second crank means connecting said drive shaftand said second lever, and means on said drive shaft for operating saidfirst and second crank means.

2. In a machine according to claim 1 in which said first crank means isconnected to said second link intermediate the connections thereof withsaid first and third links, and said second crank means is connected tosaid second lever intermediate the connection thereof with said thirdlink and said shaft for said second lever.

3. In a machine according to claim 2 in which said first crank meansincludes first and second crank members and said first and second crankmembers are connected to said second link at opposite sides thereof.

4. In a machine according to claim 3 in which said third link includesfirst and second members, said first and second members being connectedto said second link and said second and third levers at opposite sidesthereof.

5. In a machine according to claim 4 in which said shafts for saidsecond and third levers are positioned at one side of said drive shaft,said shaft for said second lever being below said drive shaft and saidshaft for said third lever being above said drive shaft.

6. In a machine according to claim 3 in which said operating means onsaid drive shaft comprises separate eccentric means for operating saidfirst and second crank members of said first crank means.

7. In a machine according to claim 6 in which said second crank means ispositioned between said first and second crank members of said firstcrank means and there is eccentric means on said drive shaftintermediate said separate eccentric means on said shaft for said firstcrank means for operating said second crank means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,700,285 1/ 1955 Bellini 66-862,921,452 1/1960 Held 6686 2,986,909 6/1961 Liebrandt et al 6686 FOREIGNPATENTS 489,214 1/1930 Germany.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

